The present invention relates to an apparatus for positioning the read/write head of an information storage disk and, more particularly, to a completely sealed unit with its own connecting cable and mounting apparatus.
The input and output systems of various computers, particularly the smaller desk-top computers that have received great popularity recently, use floppy disks as an information storage medium. Read/write heads are used to deposit information on the disks and to read information from the disks. In order to maximize the information storage capability of the disks and the accuracy of the read/write functions, it is important to precisely and reliably position the read/write head with respect to the information storage disks. The device should be lightweight and fast acting and, therefore, should avoid using permanent magnets as part of the drive mechanism. Since such devices are usually integrated into the computer systems with which they are used, it is important that they function reliably over long periods of time without substantial maintenance. It would be desirable to have a head-positioning apparatus which was a completely sealed unit and which was provided with its own mounting. It would also be desirable to have a single unit which was capable of driving more than one set of read/write heads at the same time. It is also important to have a head-positioning apparatus which is not likely to experience adverse thermal effects as a result of heat generated by the head-positioning apparatus itself or by surrounding apparatus within the computer system in which it is used. It would also be desirable to have a head-positioning apparatus which was equipped with its own electrical cables so that it could be easily integrated into the computer system with which it is used by merely plugging it into the appropriate connectors within the computer so as to avoid separate wiring.